Category Archives: 400 Calorie Meals – the plan

To celebrate the launch of my app, I’m going to give away a full copy as a prize on Friday

All you have to do is show me what you’re cookin’ ! Head on over to the 400 Calories or Less Facebook page, ‘LIKE’ the page and then post a picture of what you’re cookin’ – then on Friday I will pick a winner and send you a promo code so you can get the whole app for FREE!

Right now the free portion of the app has a whopping 40 free recipes – but if you want the whole thing (includes 4 cookbooks) for free, show me what you got going on in your kitchen I don’t care if it’s 400 calories or 4000 calories – just snap some pics and get them posted.

If you don’t have an iPhone, iPad or iTouch – you can gift the promo code to whomever you want. So get cooking and get snapping See you on the Facebook Fan Page !

Grab the FREE ‘400 Calories or Less’ App for great handpicked recipes for Summer Fun, Kid Friendly Food, Holidays and Entertaining and Dinners from Around the World. If you love it, grab the full versions.

iTunes app

Get it HERE !! And I sure appreciate your leaving a review over at iTunes.

Many of my 400 calorie or less meals are heavier fare that really keeps you feeling full, keeps you from craving higher fat foods, and really satiates. But sometimes you want to lighten up to get ready for a special occasion, to fit into that new bathing suit, to ‘diet’ within an already healthy meal plan.

This week I am devoting my posts to just that – the meals posted will be LITE dishes – lo cal, lo fat, lo carb. But still plenty tasty and very nutritious. So jump on in with me and let’s beat down those pounds

I’ve been on this ‘diet’ for quite some time now – and I have to say that there is really ZERO DEPRIVATION involved. I have eaten EVERYTHING – butter, cream, chocolate, cheese, breads, pizza, beef, fried foods….and the list goes on.

This really is not a diet for me anymore – it is a way of life and eating 400 calorie portions just means eating things in moderation. I crave nothing because I get it all. I don’t make every meal a heavier one. But with some of them, I pack the 400 calories with ingredients that are just going to make it TASTE rich and decadent. Other meals I get more bang for my calorie buck by serving lots of veggies, fruits, fish, grilled chicken – all the things you expect to see when eating healthy. It’s a balancing act – but well worth the effort because I can eat things like you see here on my blog…

And so can you – and you can lose weight while doing it !

Here are some GRAND, RICH, DECADENT, DELICIOUS foods that make sure you are not feeling deprived:

I wanted to give a big thank you to all my Facebook fans and Blog followers. I’ve taken my love of cooking, a new interest in food photography, wrapped it up with my need for a food/meal plan that is healthy and something I can stick with – – and it all became 400 Calories or Less.

Seeing your interest, reading your comments and emails, and knowing that I am helping others really makes it all so rewarding.

And to answer a few questions that are coming in often:

1. Yes, I do take all the pictures of the food. (Special thanks to my family for being so patient as I photograph the food before we sit down to eat !)

2. Yes, I cook all these recipes. Not a single one goes up without my trying it at least once. And the ones that are not blog worthy never get posted here. These are tried and true and definitely worth your experimentation.

3. Yes, portions are typically big. It just does not make sense to me to sit in front of a cupful of food and try and call that a meal. All the meals are plentiful and satisfying. That is a big part of my challenge – – fitting in as much healthful, delicious food as I can for 400 calories.

4. Yes, I have lost weight and continue to do so. It has been about 6 months and my husband has lost 30 pounds and continues to keep it off. His drop was fast and his maintenance has been over a couple months now. He did not exercise a bit during this 6 month period. He eats 2000 calories a day as opposed to my 1600. We basically double up dinner for him. My drop has been slower – a pound or sometimes more a week and so far I have dropped 25 pounds and plan to keep going for another 10 pounds or so before I move to a maintenance plan. And our plan includes a “CHEAT DAY” once a week. We don’t go completely overboard (well, maybe sometimes a little – who can resist KFC hot wings?!?!?!?!?!) but we eat what we like on this day, often eating out for dinner.

I hope you reach your goals ! If I can help in any way, please write. I love to hear from you all Stay tuned for lots more recipes and tips. And again, thanks !!!

Many nutritionists and dieticians recommend eating several small meals throughout the course of the day. It helps to keep your metabolism running and also keeps your body from going into starvation mode which totally defeats any plan (losing weight or weight maintenance).

I’ve decided that my new LIFESTYLE (not a diet!!) needs to include a meal plan that I can stick with and one that will show me results. Over the past 6 months I have been eating 400 calories or less for each meal (3 main meals and a snack) and seeing great results. I am losing weight and I just plain feel better. I know that in order to maintain a healthy weight, I need to stick with this plan. So I have created recipes and meal plans that ensure I am not feeling hungry all the time and truthfully, I rarely feel deprived (except for when I see people eating multiple slices of pizza when I can only have one – ah, pizza !!) . This plan combats cravings of all sorts because I can eat a little bit of just about anything.

Now, I could sit and eat 400 calories worth of cheese doodles as a meal (my dear friend told me this actually worked for her at one point in her life), but the better thing to do is make sure you are eating balanced meals.

I make sure that my day includes proteins (meat, fish, beans), veggies and fruit, high calcium dairy and I could not live without carbs. I now eat whole grain breads and pastas, but they are still in my meals in smaller amounts – I could not live without them.

I also add in monounsaturated fats (these are the good fats) with several of my meals each day…the theory being that they a: help bad fats retreat from your body and b: they help you feel more satisfied. Examples of monounsaturated fats are olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate – – and while high in calories, I do notice that when I skip them to add in extra pasta or bread instead, I don’t see as good weight loss results that week.

And finally, here are a few things that I have learned along the way:

Drink lotsa water: I am not good at this – I have to struggle to get down 3 glasses of water a day. I try and entice myself by adding stuff to a pitcher of water and giving it a bit of natural flavor. One day I add lemon or lime slices (orange is nice too). The next I add some sliced fresh ginger. The next I add some spearmint leaves and a few drops of mint extract. If I keep it changed up, I find I am more apt to want a glass.

Sit and savor your food: Taste each bit that goes into your mouth. Smell it. Look at it. Don’t just woof it down in front of a TV because before you know it, it’s gone and you’re wondering where it went and you are still feeling hungry. I know it sounds corny, but it is sooooooo true !

Split up the snacks in a different way each day and according to how your body feels: I always try to eat my 3 main meals the same times each day. But my snacks….times change and so does how I split them up. One day I may be hungrier in the mid afternoon and have a 200 calorie snack before I start cooking dinner (so I am not picking while cooking) and then have my other 200 calories in the evening. Some days I have a lighter dinner and then want a heavier snack in the evening. Some days I am dying of hunger at 10 am even though I ate a good breakfast at 8. Be flexible with yourself and divvy up those snacks thoughtfully and they will help you get through the day !

Cheat day: Everybody needs a cheat day. I plan one in once a week. I have gone hog crazy and eaten wings and several slices of pizza on the same day – and then I end up paying for it. After months of a healthy diet, my body does not know what to do when bombarded with a lot of fat and I end up with stomach distress. So I have learned and now I try and keep it a little more sane. Instead of going crazy, I use my cheat day to have a glass of wine (or 2 or 3) without having to put it into my calorie counter. And since I often go out on cheat day, it is more just a day to give myself a break from cooking, but I try to order sensibly and not stuff myself.

Eating out: It is very hard to find a place out where you can get a meal that fits into 400 calories. Asian restaurants are a good bet, especially if you stick with fish dishes and stay away from fried egg rolls. You can find calories counts for many chain restaurants and it’s very discouraging. If you’re a restaurateur and want a partner for a ‘healthy food’ restaurant, let me know !!

Count your calories: I use a mobile phone app. A plain old notebook and pencil will do just as well, though ! When you are actively counting your calories, you are much more apt to stay within them. Yes, even that one bite off your kid’s plate has to be accounted for in the log

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About 400 Calories or Less

What's a foodie to do when she passes the 40 mark and her metabolism comes to a screeching halt? (hint...denial did not work !) So I've put together a collection of everyday meals that are simple to make, under 400 calories, yet so savory and delicious that you won't miss your old favorites and standbys. I've tested and tweaked, tested and tweaked and the recipes yield satisfying and scrumptious home cooked foods, because regular 'diet food' just wasn't going to cut it in this house !

If you are cooking for a family, stick to the 400 calories for yourself, but just give larger portion sizes to other family members. I double up dinner for my husband and it is more than enough. That way you are not spending too much time cooking multiple dishes. The family will love these meals !